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Kohberger defense team says it is ‘appalled’ by former expert’s public comments about Idaho murders case
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A public rift has emerged between Bryan Kohberger’s defense lawyers and a hired expert witness following his guilty plea in the murders of four University of Idaho students.
In their first public statement made outside the courtroom since Kohberger’s arrest in December 2022, Kohberger’s lawyers have accused a former defense expert, the criminologist Brent Turvey, of violating a confidentiality agreement by speaking about the case.
“Mr. Turvey has not been released from his confidentiality agreement, and is now speaking about topics that are still confidential, many of which are outside of his areas of expertise,” reads a statement signed by Kohberger attorneys Anne Taylor, Elisa Massoth and Bicka Barlow.
Turvey is a forensic scientist with a Ph.D. in criminology. In a fiery statement released Tuesday evening, Kohberger’s lawyers wrote they are “appalled” by his recent comments.
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“It is the opinion of the defense team that Mr. Turvey’s conduct falls outside of the ethical and legal norms that are applied to experts in criminal cases, and his reliability should be seen through the lens of this conduct,” they wrote.
Turvey has spoken with a number of news outlets in recent days, including Fox News Digital, after breaking his silence in a newly released book about the case by former FBI agent Christopher Whitcomb, “Broken Plea,” which revealed a defense assertion that there were serious problems surrounding the chief piece of physical evidence in the case.
In those interviews, Turvey discussed evidence he reviewed for the defense and internal disagreements over testing and strategy — prompting the rare statement from Taylor, Massoth and Barlow.
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However, he denied that he divulged any confidential information and alleged that Taylor’s office was under investigation in connection with the leak of confidential video before Kohberger’s guilty plea in violation of a restrictive gag order.
“Her press release comes as a bit of a surprise given that nothing confidential was revealed by me,” he told Fox News Digital.
In addition to denying having divulged any confidential material, he mentioned that Taylor’s office had been investigated in connection with a leak of investigative materials to Dateline last year. The prosecution team had also been investigated over the incident, and the court has not publicly identified the leaker.
“I know that the NBC evidence link was not me, and I’ve sworn an affidavit to that effect for the court’s administrative investigation which has been completed, but the results sealed,” Turvey said. “The most bizarre part of Anne Taylor’s press release is that she makes an allegation without being specific or providing any evidence. It’s not just false and unprofessional, it likely violates her own ethics as an attorney and the law if she is alleging a crime.”
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He said the things he’s been speaking about have been “buried in mass public disclosures.”
The major revelation in “Broken Plea” stems from a purported chain of custody problem with Kohberger’s Ka-Bar knife sheath, which had his DNA under the snap. It was not mentioned in Turvey’s expert report, which he said was filed before he learned of it.
The evidence bag appears to have been filled in twice — once on the bag itself, and later on a sticker attached to the front.
The earliest date visible on the bag is “11/14/22,” alongside the initials “BP,” likely belonging to lead detective Brett Payne. It was written over the evidence tape sealing the bag.
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The label, affixed sometime later, has six recorded exchanges between Nov. 13 and Nov. 16 written with a single pen in similar handwriting, according to Turvey.
Turvey maintains that should have made it inadmissible.
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Had Kohberger’s case gone to trial, prosecutors would have challenged his findings, which have not been evaluated by a judge or jury. Experts have downplayed the significance of his claims.
Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor, reviewed images of the chain of custody forms and said he didn’t see a significant problem for the prosecution.
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“What it could point to is that is a vulnerability in the case, so they take a plea,” he said. “They could have been concerned about losing a juror on that. On the other hand it’s very indicative of what you do when you have absolutely no defense, you put the procedure on trial, instead of the facts.”
Turvey said his rift with Taylor goes back to around the time of Kohberger’s plea deal. She had not pursued his chain of custody concerns or DNA testing he wanted for additional hair evidence.
“Until we had the first and only all team member meeting, the day after the plea agreement, we were in excellent terms and in a place of complete confidence and professional trust — as far as I was concerned,” he said. “Things took a dramatic turn during that meeting.”
He declined to discuss specifics, but said previously that the plea deal came as a surprise to him and despite his chain of custody concerns and a push to have additional DNA testing performed.
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Taylor did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Kohberger admitted to the murders of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, on July 2, 2025.
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He took a plea deal that spared him from the potential death penalty. He forfeited his right to appeal. He gave no explanation for the crimes and sat emotionlessly through sentencing weeks later, as the victims’ families read scathing impact statements in court.
On the night of the murders, he searched Google for local police dispatch audio, according to public records tied to the case. He powered off his phone before the murders and turned it back on after them. While investigators found none of the victims’ DNA in his car after they seized it in Pennsylvania, an FBI analyst determined soil on a shovel found inside it matched dirt from the Moscow area.
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“Truth be told, I’m unable to come up with anything redeeming about Mr. Kohberger,” Judge Steven Hippler said at sentencing. “His grotesque acts of evil have buried and hidden anything that might have been good or intrinsically human about him.”
Hippler handed down a sentence of four consecutive terms of life in prison with no parole, plus another 10 years.
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Illegal immigrant admitted posing as Border Patrol agent in calculated scheme to disrupt deportations: DOJ
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A man accused of targeting federal immigration agents and pretending to be one of them is now facing serious prison time after prosecutors say his stunt put law enforcement in danger.
Jaime Ernesto Alvarez-Gonzalez, 53, an illegal immigrant who overstayed a tourist visa decades ago, pleaded guilty Tuesday after admitting he impersonated a U.S. Border Patrol agent to interfere with deportation operations.
Authorities say the impersonation was deliberate and planned.
On Jan. 8, Alvarez-Gonzalez allegedly trailed a real Border Patrol agent through San Diego, Calif., in a black Ford F-150 dressed up to resemble an undercover federal vehicle.
The truck appeared convincing at a glance, outfitted with a Border Patrol sticker, fake radio antennas, a dashboard lightbar and handcuffs hanging from the mirror, despite a license plate frame that misspelled “Federal” as “Ferderal.”
It worked well enough that the real agent believed he was being followed by another federal officer and pulled off his mission for safety.
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According to court filings, Alvarez-Gonzalez narrated the encounter in real time, claiming he was “on patrol” as he tracked the agent through city streets. At one point, he pulled alongside the agent at a stoplight and began recording him, later following him into a gas station parking lot and declaring he would stay on his “target.”
Prosecutors say Alvarez-Gonzalez, wearing a face mask and a “thin green line” hat, was actively searching for federal agents involved in ICE and Border Patrol operations.
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When agents confronted him, the situation escalated quickly.
Authorities say he shouted obscenities, ordered agents out of the Linda Vista neighborhood, and then called in what he described as his “reinforcements.” Multiple vehicles soon arrived and people began harassing and chasing federal agents onto the highway — an encounter Alvarez-Gonzalez filmed himself.
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He was arrested days later. But investigators say the impersonation was only part of the story.
A series of photos shared by prosecutors show Alvarez-Gonzalez handling firearms at a Houston-area shooting range after traveling to Texas, despite being barred from possessing weapons. In one image, he is seen holding a Kalashnikov-style rifle alongside a caption referencing “Pancho Villa” in the United States.
Additional images appear to show him displaying multiple rifles near a pickup truck and standing beside a Ford vehicle with a Texas license plate and markings resembling a “Ferderal Truck” label paired with a sheriff-style emblem.
Authorities say other photos place him in front of an actual Border Patrol vehicle and, in a separate shot, near a heavily secured stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, where he is seen wearing what appears to be a vest and badge while standing by a “No Trespassing” sign.
Investigators say they also recovered an FBI-style badge and found that Alvarez-Gonzalez had access to firearms, including a Glock pistol, along with ammunition tied to weapons he was not legally allowed to possess.
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Court documents further allege he tried to cover his tracks. While in custody, authorities say he called an associate and asked that law enforcement-style markings be removed from his vehicles. When agents later searched them, much of the apparent impersonation gear had already been taken off.
Following his guilty plea, Alvarez-Gonzalez now faces a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison on the firearms charges alone.
Fox News Digital reached out to his attorney.
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Man allegedly steals fire truck parked outside Colorado jail moments after being released from custody
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A male suspect allegedly stole a fire truck parked outside a Colorado jail early Wednesday morning, just moments after being released from custody, according to the Boulder Police Department (BPD).
Officials said the chaotic incident quickly triggered a multi-agency pursuit, prompting officers to deploy tire-deflation devices along a highway before the situation escalated into a brief foot chase outside of Denver.
Authorities identified him as 33-year-old Richmond Takashi Johnson, who they said has an “extensive criminal history.” He had originally been booked on third-degree trespassing charges prior to the alleged theft of the emergency vehicle.
The incident ultimately caused significant damage to the fire rescue engine and multiple responding vehicles from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said. An officer also sustained minor injuries during the pursuit.
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According to the BPD, Johnson was first taken into custody around midnight after officers received reports of a man “trying to open the doors of cars and homes” in a residential neighborhood around 11:30 p.m.
Following his release around 3:30 a.m., in accordance with Colorado statute, fire rescue crews arrived shortly thereafter in response to an unrelated medical call.
While crews were inside the jail booking lobby treating a patient, Johnson allegedly entered the fire engine and drove roughly one mile before being spotted by Boulder County Sheriff’s Office deputies, along with Boulder police.
Johnson allegedly continued driving and refused to stop for law enforcement, eventually reaching a major interstate roughly 10 miles to the east.
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Police from the nearby suburb of Longmont were then called in to assist, deploying stop sticks at at least three locations along the highway.
Johnson subsequently lost control of the truck after its tires deflated and fled on foot.
“He then jumped out of Engine 143 and ran away,” police said. “Within minutes he was arrested by Boulder County Sheriff’s deputies and Longmont Police officers.”
“Thankfully there were no serious injuries to any first responders or community members, however, a Boulder County Sheriff’s deputy sustained a minor injury from the foot pursuit of the suspect,” the department added.
Johnson was not injured during his arrest.
The Boulder Fire-Rescue Engine 143, one of the city’s electric RTX engines, reportedly sustained significant damage and is being assessed by the city’s fleet division.
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Two Boulder County Sheriff’s Office vehicles also sustained major damage, while another sheriff’s unit suffered minor damage.
Johnson now faces nine new charges, including obstructing a peace officer, firefighter, emergency medical service provider, rescue specialist or volunteer; two counts of felony motor vehicle theft; resisting arrest; reckless driving; felony criminal mischief involving damage to city property; felony vehicular eluding; reckless endangerment; and driving after revocation prohibited
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Suspect arrested after mom, pregnant teen, 12-year-old found bound and murdered
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Authorities have arrested a man in the brutal murders of an Alabama mother, her pregnant teenage daughter and 12-year-old son, who were found bound in their home April 20.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said William Graham Oliver, 54, was charged with eight counts of capital murder, according to a report from local outlet WALA. He was booked into jail Tuesday.
Fox News Digital previously reported Mobile County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a home in Wilmer, Alabama, just after 2:30 a.m. April 20, where they found three bodies in separate rooms with their hands tied behind their backs.
The victims were identified as Lisa Gail Fields, 46, who was stabbed; Keziah Arionna Luker, 17, who was shot; and Thomas Cordelle Jr., 12, who had his throat cut and was nearly decapitated.
Burch described the scene as “brutal” and noted the home was “left in disarray.”
Luker’s 18-month-old child was found unharmed in the home. Her unborn child, who was seven or eight months along, also died.
The unborn child’s father, who works offshore, triggered the discovery after he could not reach Luker when he saw her phone activated on Life 360, the sheriff said. Another family member went to check on her and found the deceased family.
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Burch said Oliver knew the family “for quite some time” and was inside the home “looking for something” the night before the bodies were found, according to the report.
“Very very tight timeline,” Burch told reporters. “Very solid circumstantial evidence at this point, and we feel confident that we have the right man.”
Burch said investigators have pinpointed what Oliver was allegedly looking for and his motive but did not release those details to the public, the outlet reported.
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Shortly after the killings, investigators said they believed more than one person was involved in the killings because the victims had been subdued using zip ties and flex cuffs. It is unclear if any additional suspects have been identified.
Jail records show Oliver was charged with first-degree theft of property in 2020, with other arrests dating back to 1990.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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Disney World guest allegedly grabbed employee during character photo line, gets lifetime ban from parks
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A father was arrested and banned for life from Walt Disney World Resort property.
Last week, Diego Rodriguez was at the Happiest Place on Earth when he reportedly assaulted a theme park actor dressed as Mirabel from the 2021 film “Encanto.”
This incident highlights ongoing challenges theme parks face in managing large crowds and guest behavior, particularly during high-traffic character meet-and-greets. Disney parks enforce strict conduct policies for visitors, with violations potentially resulting in removal or permanent bans from property.
According to The Travel, Rodriguez was with a woman and child in the Epcot area while waiting in line to take a photo with the actor, who was accompanied by another park employee managing large groups of families.
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Rodriguez reportedly grew impatient and attempted to cut to the front of the line multiple times, despite being told by an employee that he could not.
The child then tried to run to the actor before being stopped. The woman with Rodriguez also asked Mirabel to sign her child’s autograph book, but the actor said she was only taking photos at the time. The woman then waved the book in the employee’s face.
Rodriguez then got involved, reportedly grabbing the Disney employee’s arm, shaking her and verbally assaulting both the actor playing Mirabel and the employee.
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Witnesses said they heard Rodriguez yelling during the interaction, saying, “Why everyone can take a picture but us?”
Following the incident, he received a lifetime trespass notice, permanently banning him from Walt Disney World Resort property, and was held on battery charges by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the incident.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office and a representative for Disney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
This enforcement aligns with Disney’s official park rules, which state that guests who engage in disorderly or unsafe behavior will be removed without refund and may face long-term bans.
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In recent years, Disney has added specific language to its “Guest Courtesy” policy, emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach to physical or verbal abuse directed at its “Cast Members.”
These rules grant Disney, as a private property owner, the right to trespass individuals for any violation of park safety protocols. Once a lifetime ban is issued, it is rarely overturned, serving as a permanent reminder that the “magic” of the parks depends strictly on guest cooperation and mutual respect.
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Anti-gun violence nonprofit founder and ex-MMA fighter convicted in fatal 2024 shooting murder
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A former mixed martial arts fighter who founded an anti-violence nonprofit with a specific focus on gun crime was convicted of murder in the shooting death of another man in Colorado earlier this week.
A jury found Lumumba Sayers, 47, guilty of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and attempt to commit tampering with physical violence, according to a release from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Sayers will be sentenced on July 24. Sentencing guidelines in Colorado prescribe a 16-to-48-year prison sentence for second-degree murder.
Prosecutors said Sayers left an anti-violence event Aug. 10, 2024, and drove to a children’s birthday party at a local water park, where he walked up to the victim, Malcolm Johnson, and shot him multiple times, Colorado Public Radio reported.
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Sayers admitted to having a weapon on him at the time of the murder, but that was not the weapon used to KILL Johnson, the Macomb Daily reported. Prosecutors said an untraceable 3-D printed gun, or “ghost gun,” was used in the shooting. It was never found.
They said it was handed off to another man, never to be seen again. There was no surveillance video of the murder.
The murder was carried out in revenge after Sayers’ son, Lumumba Sayers Jr., was gunned down in August 2023, prosecutors said. A man named Tyrell Braxton was charged in that case, but the case was eventually dismissed.
Sayers reportedly believed Johnson was involved in his son’s murder. Prosecutors also said that Sayers attempted to plant the gun on Johnson after the killing. Sayers contended he was simply removing his gun and putting it down before police arrived on the scene.
The now-convicted murderer ran Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts, a nonprofit that describes itself as a “non-profit organization dedicated to transforming lives through education, mentorship, and community.” It is heavily focused on physical training, and reportedly received state and federal grants for its “Glovez Up, Gunz Down Movement” program.
“At Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts, we foster a culture of accountability, both in and out of the gym,” the organization’s site says. “Through training, individuals learn discipline, respect, and self-control, promoting responsible behavior and healthy relationships.”
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Sayers competed in Strikeforce MMA in 2011 and 2012, where he fought against future UFC contenders, according to MMA Junkie. Strikeforce was acquired by a different company and eventually absorbed completely into UFC.
Sayers’ attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.
Illegal immigrant admitted posing as Border Patrol agent in calculated scheme to disrupt deportations: DOJ
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A man accused of targeting federal immigration agents and pretending to...
Man allegedly steals fire truck parked outside Colorado jail moments after being released from custody
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A male suspect allegedly stole a fire truck parked outside a...
Suspect arrested after mom, pregnant teen, 12-year-old found bound and murdered
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Authorities have arrested a man in the brutal murders of an...
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